Blueberry harvest thrives in rainy N.J. weather

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/blueberry_harvest_thrives_in_r.html

The Associated Press Friday June 19, 2009, 10:48 AM wrote:

HAMMONTON -- Rain that has left many New Jersey residents feeling blue has helped produce large, plump blueberries in the Garden State.
South Jersey farmers are scrambling to harvest the crop. They hope the rain eases before the fruit starts to swell and split.

New Jersey has seen on and off showers and thunderstorms over the past two weeks, and the next few days should continue that trend. Today's partly sunny and above-80 temperatures are expected to give way to more showers and possible thunderstorms through Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service.
But farmers hope the non-stop rain produces better blueberries -- and better business.
Anthony Berenato of Mohawk Farms in Hammonton said this year's starting prices for blueberries match the lowest price of the previous three years. That's $13.50 per box of 12 pints.
The farms have also been flooded with job applicants during the recession, including educated adults who lost their jobs.

Be careful though....If you eat too many, your poop will turn blue!

That's awesome. I love the blueberries, and hopefully VA is close enough that we get a bunch of the cheap berries down here.

The rains here have also been pretty much non-stop. The lawn is the lushest its ever been since we've owned this house. It's usually getting brown by now, and I can stop mowing. But instead it's thick and green. The clover is amazingly prolific, and there seems to be a large increase in the bunny population this year as a result. Walking back from the a trip to the store the other day, I saw 5 of them hanging out in peoples front lawns eating clover. There seem to be more bunnies than squirrels right now. I'm just waiting for the increase in predators to come next.

Roast bunny stuffed with blueberry?

blueberries are very expensive here. It sucks because I love them.

I just returned from the market with 2 pints of big phat blueberries for $5...yuh hum.

Some people have all the luck

Go eat some strawberies then, Ali.

I already have today. They don't taste much like blueberries though. :(

No rain here in 22 days, but I got enough to make a killer cobbler :biggrin:

I'm sure you people keep bumping this thread just to taunt me! grrrrr!!!

Thanks for bumping this thread. I forgot I have a bunch in the freezer on cookie sheets that I need to transfer to bags.

Aliantha;577276 wrote:

I'm sure you people keep bumping this thread just to taunt me! grrrrr!!!

I guess I'd better check my bushes! ;)

We've had almost constant rain here. Everything is growing like madness in the Spring er something.

Damn, I'd kill for some plump, delicious blueberries right now.

Hmmm, lemme check the fridge... Queen Beestie went to the market yesterday... I wonder if she bou... HEY - what's that hiding behind the leftover lasagna.. could it be? YES - a colorful, handpainted ceramic bowl filled to the rim with just-picked, farm-fresh blueberries!!

Mmmmm... they taste like they were on the vine just yesterday soaking up the cool, Pennsylvania morning dew. Plump, bursting with flavor and nutrition.. Delicious!

Oops - did I type that out loud - sorry 'bout that, Ali. :blush:

Beestie;577341 wrote:

...to the rim with just-picked, farm-fresh blueberries!!

Mmmmm... they taste like they were on the vine just yesterday soaking up the cool, Pennsylvania morning dew. Plump, bursting with flavor and nutrition.. Delicious!

Blueberry porn.

Aliantha;577276 wrote:

I'm sure you people keep bumping this thread just to taunt me! grrrrr!!!

Not a substitute for fresh, but frozen blueberries are pretty good in pancakes.

They are dar..and good in muffins too. Unfortunately they just don't have quite the same 'zing' as fresh ones do. I could eat them every day by the handful, but at over $5 for a 150gm punnet, that's just not a happening thing. :(

You all suck!

we went to shady maple last night.....and you know how there's always a few BIG blueberries in a box? like 3/4" ones? ... well they had a whole huge freaking trough ( like 10" X 24" on the buffet line that was ALL huge ones.

They look great from the photo. I wish I liked blueberries more than I do. I think they are best baked in batter or frozen. I know it's wierd.

There's a place out here called Pacific Northwest Best Fish Co. that sells, oddly enough, individually frozen local berries of all types. Six bucks a quart. They taste awesome, and you sure can't beat the price.

Of course, I'm growing my own (strawberries, blueberries [6 varieties], raspberries, and blackberries). Strawberries are going full steam right now, with the blueberries close behind. Raspberries and blackberries need a few more weeks...

Mmmmmm! Berries!

yum @ that photo! :drool:

We're all going on a cherry-picking trip to Somewheresville, MD tomorrow.

Cherry pie a la mode comin' up!

I want to go!

Because of this thread I bought a punnet of blueberries today.

$9 for 125 grams. That's less than 5oz.

$2.56 for 2 lbs.

How many pints in a lb?
Just bought some... $1.99 pint at local market, $2 at Walmart.

The receipt says lb, the package says pint.
So I guess a pint's a pound, the world around. ;)


btw, $1.28 sale a Pathmark, from Atlantic Blueberry Co in Hammonton.